WHO AM I?
I´m a thief, not just stealing all the minutes I can to be with my horses, but my first ever equine experience was on a stolen steed. Donkey to be precise.
Growing up in the English countryside, as children we could freely spend every spare hour down bridle paths and roaming farmland. It was there, aged 8, that I saw "an obviously very lonely donkey, in need of the company of a little girl", and finding a piece of bale twine I put this around his neck (with no clue about bridles, or thought as to whether he was accustomed to being ridden or not) and had my younger sister give me a leg up. Whereupon I rode my prize home. My mother was not amused and THAT phrase "wait until your father gets home" was thrown at me from the kitchen window. Despite promises of how good his poop would be for their roses, my father insisted it was not to be and I must return said donkey!
My apparent need to ride though, was fortunately met with a trip to the nearest yard the following Saturday. No funds for classes (I wasn´t allowed to forfeit ballet and piano for horses right away) I was chucked in at the mucky end.
Growing up in the English countryside, as children we could freely spend every spare hour down bridle paths and roaming farmland. It was there, aged 8, that I saw "an obviously very lonely donkey, in need of the company of a little girl", and finding a piece of bale twine I put this around his neck (with no clue about bridles, or thought as to whether he was accustomed to being ridden or not) and had my younger sister give me a leg up. Whereupon I rode my prize home. My mother was not amused and THAT phrase "wait until your father gets home" was thrown at me from the kitchen window. Despite promises of how good his poop would be for their roses, my father insisted it was not to be and I must return said donkey!
My apparent need to ride though, was fortunately met with a trip to the nearest yard the following Saturday. No funds for classes (I wasn´t allowed to forfeit ballet and piano for horses right away) I was chucked in at the mucky end.
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Caught in the wrong footwear - Eeek!
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My initial involvement in barefoot was due to a young colt I had bred, and watching how, when I ponied him up alongside his dam, he floated over rocks, rivers and concrete. This roused my curiosity and instigated my investigations as to why we shod horses. But as I wasn´t even thinking about becoming an equine podiatrist back then, I asked my farrier to trim him, informing him that he would not be shod. My farrier told me he knew about this "barefoot malarky" and how to "do a mustang roll", so I believed that was what he was doing. What a balls up! As time went by and my knowledge was improving in leaps and bounds, I realised he was doing more harm than good. He should have been made to wear a big warning sticker that he had no relevant experience or qualification in that area. Though I thank him profusely for spurring me on to further my studies, as during the past 20 years I have learnt so much more about every aspect of equine health and well being than I did in my previous 30 years around horses.
I now work with two excellent vets who have embraced barefoot. Answer what they can, when they can, from the barefoot perspective, and when they can´t, happily admit they have requested a referral or advise elsewhere. They clearly come from the same school as me. The one where we prefer to be thought of as stupid, than be stupid, the one that makes sure they have all the information, all the variables, before passing judgement. We´ll leave the latter to the rest of the circus.
I have no official qualification in hoof care, because all the available bits of paper in the world are affiliated only to the associations that sell them. That means they are not official. They also have no regulations much like psychotherapy trainings for example (nope, no regulations)! They are, for this reason, accountable to no one. They can say or teach anything they want, change it or move the goal posts as they see fit and also disappear without a trace. On top of that they cost a fortune and because they are not approved or accredited by any formal learning institution you cannot get sensible student loans or grants to cover the cost. They are entirely variable in course content and some have been known to "rewrite the book" after they have taught it, so students have to go back and learn again - or not! I have not heard of a course that contains components on young horses and foals in it´s syllabus for example, and am the first to admit that confronted with any problems in this group I would work closely alongside a vet at all times. Which makes me wonder what other components are missing from some courses.
Once a WHP course is completed to a minimum standard (a pass is not a given) at Level 4, a student is constantly updated with any new science, studies, literature that are relevant to our ´continual learning´, free of charge. They are also monitored, on an annual basis, to maintain their status as practitioners. There title is not removed if they do not continue to practice, but they will be registered as non-practicing.
I did lie about my qualifications though. I have certifications in equine nutrition with Edinburgh Uni* and equine massage therapy. I have studied Farrier science, Equine Behaviour, Hoof pathologies, Distal limb Anatomy and more with the Equine Science Academy gaining a 90% average. I have life qualifications in horse husbandry, riding, horse handling and training. I have over a decade of experience in hoof care from basic maintenance to full sinkers. There should be a qualification for having sat and dissected so many very sad cadaver hooves and for all the scientific papers I´ve scoured, the history of shoeing I´ve studied, the Veterinary journals from 18th and 19th century that I´ve read! I compete in Endurance, placing and winning Best Condition - my barefoot horses speak for me. I am learning all about biomechanics. This is not a job for me, this is a way of life. Oh, and I repeatedly say a healthy hoof is 75% diet, 20% exercise and living conditions and 5% the correct trim, which is why I don´t just trim hooves and why I practice the Whole Horse Protocol.
Just remember, Farriers were once anyone who knew how to heat a forge and bend metal. They slowly got together to form a
´union`. They now have their apprenticeship, their minimum standards etc , but it is self-governed, so who is to say it is correct? Within farriery there are different schools, fields and thought processes. Farriery is not based on biomechanics and developed long before any knowledge of this. As much as I am first on the bandwagon pushing for a controlling body/association, who is to say that ONE Trimmers Board would be the right one? There is no one right way to trim. So I am a generic trimmer. Just like Pete Ramey, Jaime Jackson and KC LaPierre - I just haven´t the nuance for all the big marketing that some are so good at. But I do practice what I preach, competing in Endurance at advanced level. Hand on heart I can say, though I have learnt and now do some things differently from when I first started, I have never made a mistake, or better said, done anything detrimental in any way.
As barefoot practitioners are gaining ground there is definitely a need for a controlling committee. Not just to assure minimum standards, but also to provide this profession with the respect it deserves. Until such time my experience and constant successes are my qualifications. I only had very technical scientific papers available to read when I started out, I could not be influenced by Google and all the guru´s who´s information is now readily available. I have great respect for Pete Ramey and very much like his thinking and work. Hiltrud Strasser opened the doors for barefoot trimmers and we have much to be grateful to her for, though only Strasser can trim like Strasser as far as I´m concerned. The studies of Dr´s Bowker, Pollitt and Hampson have helped confirm my belief's in the function of a bare hoof, along with my own studies on a small group of feral horses I am fortunate to have near me. Now your horse and/or you can benefit from the Whole Horse Protocol. Tracey J Parker
P.S. Whoever you choose to study with, be sure it is someone very enthusiastic about their work. Someone who is current with their studies and has not decided to dedicate themselves to just one area or market. Reading this blog entry will explain further - Lifes learning curve
*This certification is barely worth the paper it is written on. A course sponsored by a feed company, I completed it to find out what many internet warriors were raving about. Indeed some key information, but very much geared towards selling product. My knowledge of nutrition and the equine digestive system comes from far more hours of studying information from the following, very small sample;
Nutrition of the horse
H.F. Hintz Dept. Of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca New York 14853-4801
McDonald P. 1981. The biochemistry of silage. Wiley J and sons, Ltd (eds), Chichester, UK. Arnold et al, 1981
Kentucky Equine Research, Inc., Versailles Kentucky, USA
Merck Medical Dictionary
Lindberg, 1998
Lewis LD, 1995, Equine Clinical Nutrition: Feeding and Care, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, p. 447- 500.
Numerous papers by Dr. J.M. Getty, Dr. T. Kempton, Dr. Dan Moore DVM
Survey of Feeding Practices, Supplement Use, and Knowledge of Equine Nutrition among a Subpopulation of Horse Owners in New England
Crystal J.HoffmanBSLais R.CostaMV, MS, PhD, DACVIM (LAIM), DABVP (Equine)Lisa M.FreemanDVM, PhD, DACVN
A field study on reproductive efficiency of mares maintained predominately on native pasture
P.G.GibbsK.E.Davison
Survey of Equine Nutrition: Perceptions and Practices of Veterinarians in Georgia, USA
Jayne LouiseRobertsMScJo-AnneMurrayPhD, PGDip, PGCERT
Stress, Performance, and Adaptogenic Herbs
Christine King BVSc, MACVSc, MVetClinStud
I now work with two excellent vets who have embraced barefoot. Answer what they can, when they can, from the barefoot perspective, and when they can´t, happily admit they have requested a referral or advise elsewhere. They clearly come from the same school as me. The one where we prefer to be thought of as stupid, than be stupid, the one that makes sure they have all the information, all the variables, before passing judgement. We´ll leave the latter to the rest of the circus.
I have no official qualification in hoof care, because all the available bits of paper in the world are affiliated only to the associations that sell them. That means they are not official. They also have no regulations much like psychotherapy trainings for example (nope, no regulations)! They are, for this reason, accountable to no one. They can say or teach anything they want, change it or move the goal posts as they see fit and also disappear without a trace. On top of that they cost a fortune and because they are not approved or accredited by any formal learning institution you cannot get sensible student loans or grants to cover the cost. They are entirely variable in course content and some have been known to "rewrite the book" after they have taught it, so students have to go back and learn again - or not! I have not heard of a course that contains components on young horses and foals in it´s syllabus for example, and am the first to admit that confronted with any problems in this group I would work closely alongside a vet at all times. Which makes me wonder what other components are missing from some courses.
Once a WHP course is completed to a minimum standard (a pass is not a given) at Level 4, a student is constantly updated with any new science, studies, literature that are relevant to our ´continual learning´, free of charge. They are also monitored, on an annual basis, to maintain their status as practitioners. There title is not removed if they do not continue to practice, but they will be registered as non-practicing.
I did lie about my qualifications though. I have certifications in equine nutrition with Edinburgh Uni* and equine massage therapy. I have studied Farrier science, Equine Behaviour, Hoof pathologies, Distal limb Anatomy and more with the Equine Science Academy gaining a 90% average. I have life qualifications in horse husbandry, riding, horse handling and training. I have over a decade of experience in hoof care from basic maintenance to full sinkers. There should be a qualification for having sat and dissected so many very sad cadaver hooves and for all the scientific papers I´ve scoured, the history of shoeing I´ve studied, the Veterinary journals from 18th and 19th century that I´ve read! I compete in Endurance, placing and winning Best Condition - my barefoot horses speak for me. I am learning all about biomechanics. This is not a job for me, this is a way of life. Oh, and I repeatedly say a healthy hoof is 75% diet, 20% exercise and living conditions and 5% the correct trim, which is why I don´t just trim hooves and why I practice the Whole Horse Protocol.
Just remember, Farriers were once anyone who knew how to heat a forge and bend metal. They slowly got together to form a
´union`. They now have their apprenticeship, their minimum standards etc , but it is self-governed, so who is to say it is correct? Within farriery there are different schools, fields and thought processes. Farriery is not based on biomechanics and developed long before any knowledge of this. As much as I am first on the bandwagon pushing for a controlling body/association, who is to say that ONE Trimmers Board would be the right one? There is no one right way to trim. So I am a generic trimmer. Just like Pete Ramey, Jaime Jackson and KC LaPierre - I just haven´t the nuance for all the big marketing that some are so good at. But I do practice what I preach, competing in Endurance at advanced level. Hand on heart I can say, though I have learnt and now do some things differently from when I first started, I have never made a mistake, or better said, done anything detrimental in any way.
As barefoot practitioners are gaining ground there is definitely a need for a controlling committee. Not just to assure minimum standards, but also to provide this profession with the respect it deserves. Until such time my experience and constant successes are my qualifications. I only had very technical scientific papers available to read when I started out, I could not be influenced by Google and all the guru´s who´s information is now readily available. I have great respect for Pete Ramey and very much like his thinking and work. Hiltrud Strasser opened the doors for barefoot trimmers and we have much to be grateful to her for, though only Strasser can trim like Strasser as far as I´m concerned. The studies of Dr´s Bowker, Pollitt and Hampson have helped confirm my belief's in the function of a bare hoof, along with my own studies on a small group of feral horses I am fortunate to have near me. Now your horse and/or you can benefit from the Whole Horse Protocol. Tracey J Parker
P.S. Whoever you choose to study with, be sure it is someone very enthusiastic about their work. Someone who is current with their studies and has not decided to dedicate themselves to just one area or market. Reading this blog entry will explain further - Lifes learning curve
*This certification is barely worth the paper it is written on. A course sponsored by a feed company, I completed it to find out what many internet warriors were raving about. Indeed some key information, but very much geared towards selling product. My knowledge of nutrition and the equine digestive system comes from far more hours of studying information from the following, very small sample;
Nutrition of the horse
H.F. Hintz Dept. Of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca New York 14853-4801
McDonald P. 1981. The biochemistry of silage. Wiley J and sons, Ltd (eds), Chichester, UK. Arnold et al, 1981
Kentucky Equine Research, Inc., Versailles Kentucky, USA
Merck Medical Dictionary
Lindberg, 1998
Lewis LD, 1995, Equine Clinical Nutrition: Feeding and Care, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, p. 447- 500.
Numerous papers by Dr. J.M. Getty, Dr. T. Kempton, Dr. Dan Moore DVM
Survey of Feeding Practices, Supplement Use, and Knowledge of Equine Nutrition among a Subpopulation of Horse Owners in New England
Crystal J.HoffmanBSLais R.CostaMV, MS, PhD, DACVIM (LAIM), DABVP (Equine)Lisa M.FreemanDVM, PhD, DACVN
A field study on reproductive efficiency of mares maintained predominately on native pasture
P.G.GibbsK.E.Davison
Survey of Equine Nutrition: Perceptions and Practices of Veterinarians in Georgia, USA
Jayne LouiseRobertsMScJo-AnneMurrayPhD, PGDip, PGCERT
Stress, Performance, and Adaptogenic Herbs
Christine King BVSc, MACVSc, MVetClinStud
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